Falcons Schedule Joe Brady HC Interview
Joe Brady will attempt to help the Bills to a second straight AFC championship game Saturday. On Sunday, two head coach interviews await the Buffalo offensive coordinator.
Brady’s Ravens meeting will take place then, while NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the Falcons will also meet with Brady about their HC post. Brady has now been connected to the Dolphins, Falcons and Ravens’ HC positions.
A Falcons connection would have formed previously, with ex-Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot in New Orleans when Brady worked on Sean Payton‘s staff. But the Falcons fired Fontenot earlier this month. They will still meet with Brady, who is finishing his second full season as Bills OC.
Last year’s coaching carousel included Brady meetings with the Bears, Jaguars, Jets and Saints. A second New Orleans meeting was on the radar, but Brady joined Kliff Kingsbury and Mike McCarthy in pulling out of that search. Brady, 36, follows Brian Daboll as a Josh Allen play-caller to land on HC carousels. He joins Kingsbury, Kevin Stefanski and Mike McDaniel as recent play-callers drawing considerable interest on this year’s cycle. Brady, though, does not carry the HC experience that trio does.
Like Kingsbury in 2025, Brady could be choosey due to Allen’s status as probably the game’s best quarterback. Kingsbury, who chose to stay and mentor Jayden Daniels for a second season, saw his philosophy clash with the front office and Dan Quinn. Sean McDermott backed Brady after a midseason Bills swoon, and the team has again ranked highly — despite some issues staffing its wide receiver positions — on offense. Buffalo ranked fourth this season after a second-place 2024 scoring finish, with Allen having another strong campaign despite some receiver plans not working out. James Cook won the rushing title, marking the first Bills player to do so since O.J. Simpson 49 years ago.
The Falcons have more defense-minded candidates on their radar, but Brady joins McDaniel, Stefanski and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak in the mix for this job. Stefanski, who has come up as a John Harbaugh backup plan, is expected to meet with the Falcons for a second interview soon.
Kevin Stefanski Likely To Take Second HC Interviews With Falcons, Ravens, Titans
The first major domino in the 2026 hiring cycle has (more or less) fallen. With John Harbaugh no longer on the market, attention will turn to Kevin Stefanski and his destination.
The two-time Coach of the Year has loomed as one of the top candidates since his Browns tenure came to an expected end. Stefanski is nearing a tour of interested teams for second interviews. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the list of teams expected to arrange a follow-up includes the Falcons, Ravens and Titans.
Both Atlanta and Tennessee came up as aggressive Harbaugh suitors. The expected Giants HC is believed to have lined up a second Falcons meeting and a first Titans summit — both in-person meetings — for this week, but each ended up being canceled after Giants negotiations heated up with a deal being expected. The Titans had an offer ready.
Stefanski, 43, becomes an interesting consolation prize. The Falcons were mentioned as a team viewing Stefanski as a strong plan B, and with Harbaugh appearing Big Apple-bound, it looks like Atlanta will need to move on.
Despite being fired by the Browns, Stefanski booked six HC interviews. He also met with the Raiders, Dolphins and Giants. The six-year Browns leader won only eight games over the past two seasons, drawing Jimmy Haslam‘s ire and becoming an interesting fall guy as the Browns have struggled to stay afloat after authorizing the Deshaun Watson contract, but the two-time Coach of the Year appears on track to land a second chance immediately. Stefanski guided the Browns to their second and third playoff berths since the franchise’s 1999 relaunch, the second of which producing a Joe Flacco Comeback Player of the Year award.
The Falcons are prepared to hire a head coach before a GM. This could appeal to Stefanski, who was hired before the Browns added GM Andrew Berry back in 2020. Matt Ryan will have a significant say in personnel, stepping away from CBS to work with the team that drafted him. It remains to be seen how powerful the GM will be in this arrangement.
As for the Titans, they are prioritizing experience this time around. Of the 19 candidates Tennessee has interviewed or scheduled meetings with, 15 are former HCs. The Titans saw first-timer Brian Callahan wash out quickly; they are looking to another AFC North veteran in the wake of that firing. Despite Mike Borgonzi‘s ties to Matt Nagy, Stefanski appears an early frontrunner to land this job.
Baltimore’s search began several weeks after Tennessee’s, and having the chance to coach Lamar Jackson represents an advantage the Ravens hold over the other HC-seeking teams on this year’s market. Steve Bisciotti said this week the Ravens will consider second-chance candidates whose first tenures were rocky. Stefanski qualifies, going 45-56 in Cleveland. It would be fascinating to see Stefanski end up in Baltimore due to the history between these two franchises; it’s a scenario that appears in play.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Kliff Kingsbury Interviewed For Ravens’ HC, OC Positions; Team Could Follow Same Pattern With Mike McDaniel
Baltimore’s offensive coordinator position is still technically filled by Todd Monken at this point. A departure in his case is widely expected, however. 
That reality has apparently played a factor in the Ravens’ ongoing head coaching search. Kliff Kingsbury met with the team earlier this week. That summit was one of many head coaching interviews Baltimore has conducted since the firing of John Harbaugh, but ESPN’s Peter Schrager noted during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link) that Kingsbury also interviewed for the offensive coordinator gig.
That represents a further sign Monken is set to coach elsewhere in 2026. Following John Harbaugh to the Giants is a distinct possibility, although the veteran OC is also in position to interview for a second time with the Browns for their HC gig. In any case, the Ravens are preparing to move on at the offensive coordinator spot. Kingsbury would certainly be one of the top candidates for that role, and Schrager noted to no surprise the former Cardinals coach would relish the chance to work with quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Kingsbury had a two-year run coaching another dual-threat QB in the form of Jayden Daniels. The 46-year-old turned down head coaching interest last year based on the success enjoyed during Daniels’ rookie season. Things played out much differently in 2025, though, and a decision was made by Kingsbury and head coach Dan Quinn to part ways. A second HC gig could be in store this cycle, but as Schrager notes – and as the nature of his Ravens meeting illustrates – a new offensive coordinator opportunity (perhaps with the Eagles) looms as a distinct possibility as well.
Mike McDaniel finds himself in a similar position to Kingsbury at the moment. The ex-Dolphins head coach is among the top offensive candidates on the market. A number of links to open OC positions have been made in his case, but McDaniel is also set to interview with the Ravens for their head coaching spot. Per Schrager, the 42-year-old could also speak with Baltimore about the team’s OC opening. It will be interesting to see if that takes place and if so whether or not Kingsbury or McDaniel will become finalists for either position.
Browns To Conduct Second HC Interviews With Jim Schwartz, Todd Monken
Attention around the NFL will soon turn to the matter of second head coaching interviews. In the case of the Browns, one internal candidate will receive another look.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is set to interview with the team for a second time, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. The follow-up meeting will take place on Sunday, she adds. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees also took part in an initial interview with Cleveland, but Cabot adds he is not expected to conduct a follow-up.
Schwartz has further cemented his status as one of the league’s top defensive minds during his Browns tenure. His unit ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed in 2023 and fourth in that capacity this past season. The 59-year-old has received a number of endorsements from Browns players, and given today’s update the possibility remains Schwartz – whose only other interview to date has been with the Ravens – will become Kevin Stefanski‘s successor.
Schwartz served as an NFL head coach from 2009-13. His Lions tenure produced a record of just 29-51, but subsequent success as a D-coordinator has opened the door to interest in a second HC gig. Expectations would no doubt remain high on defense in Cleveland’s case in the event Schwartz were to take over, but it would be interesting to see how his offensive staff would be filled out in such a scenario.
Another target for a second Browns interview has emerged. During an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast (video link), ESPN’s Peter Schrager reported that Todd Monken is expected to speak with Cleveland once again. The current Ravens offensive coordinator has long been mentioned as a strong candidate to follow John Harbaugh to his next destination. That means a Giants hire in Monken’s case is anticipated by many. According to Schrager, however, arrangements are being made for the Browns to conduct a follow-up interview on Tuesday in Monken’s case.
In 2019, Monken served as Cleveland’s OC. That one-year stint was followed by a successful run at Georgia and three seasons in Baltimore (the first two of which were highly productive). Monken, 59, is a candidate to return to the Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator, pending the status of talks with the Giants he is likely to take part in shortly. The possibility of a head coaching opportunity could of course complicate any potential deal with New York.
Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand for Cleveland:
- Aden Durde, defensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/9
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Rumored mutual interest; Interview requested
- Mike McDaniel, former head coach (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/12
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): To interview 1/16
- Todd Monken, offensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/10; second interview targeted
- Dan Pitcher, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/9
- Tommy Rees, offensive coordinator (Browns): Interviewed 1/8
- Nate Scheelhaase, pass game coordinator (Rams): To interview 1/16
- Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Interviewed 1/8; to conduct second interview 1/18
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interview requested
- Grant Udinski, offensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interview requested
Chris Shula Arranges Ravens, Steelers, Dolphins HC Interviews
With preparation for the team’s divisional round game reaching its conclusion, a number of Rams staffers will spend Friday conducting initial interviews for head coaching positions. That includes Chris Shula. 
Los Angeles’ defensive coordinator is among the most popular candidates on the coaching market this year. All but one team with a HC vacancy has submitted an interview request in his case, and Shula figures to be busy over the coming days. He will speak with the Ravens, Steelers and Dolphins today, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports.
All three of those teams have cast a wide net in terms of candidates, but it comes as little surprise Shula is a target in each case. The 39-year-old has drawn praise for his work leading the Rams’ defense over the past two years. Prior to replacing Raheem Morris as the team’s DC, Shula held a number of roles in Los Angeles. He also has one year of defensive coordinator experience at the college level (albeit with Division-III program John Carroll).
The grandson of Don Shula, Chris is one of many staffers with a defensive background who has drawn considerable interest in this year’s cycle. That, coupled with his age, would certainly make him a logical fit with Pittsburgh in particular. The Steelers opted for a first-time head coach in their 30s with experience on defense for each of their last three HC hires (Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin). Shula is among the top options available who fit that description.
Pittsburgh could still take the route of an offensive coach, with the team having shown interest in candidates from that side of the ball as well. The same is also true of Baltimore; the team’s search for a John Harbaugh replacement includes a wide range of targets. Several ex-head coaches have interviewed already, but less experienced staffers have received a look as well. Shula is no doubt one of the main candidates on the latter front for Baltimore and other teams.
Don Shula spent 26 years of his illustrious head coaching career in Miami, so Chris would face the challenge of filling very large shoes in the event he were to take on HC duties there. The Dolphins have a long-running streak of hiring first-time coaches, and tapping one with a defensive background would mark a notable departure from the Mike McDaniel era. With longtime Packers exec Jon-Eric Sullivan now in place as general manager, many have pointed to Jeff Hafley as a likely Dolphins hire. Miami will of course speak with other candidates, however.
Per NFL rules, each of these interviews must be conducted remotely. The first round of meetings for staffers in Shula’s position (those set to participate in this weekend’s games) must be completed before the end of the divisional round. As such, a full list of his potential destinations will soon emerge.
Giants Likely To Hire Todd Monken As OC
The Giants are poised to become the first team to make an official head coaching hire in 2026. John Harbaugh is finalizing an agreement to head to New York. 
Once that takes place, attention will turn to Harbaugh’s staffing choices. He is naturally expected to being a number of Ravens coaches with him, and that includes a likely offensive coordinator transition. Todd Monken is a strong target of Harbaugh’s, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. A Monken agreement is expected to make him the team’s next offensive coordinator, which would come as no surprise.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo confirms Monken is the “frontrunner” for New York’s OC spot at this point. Nothing is finalized at this time, with a formal search required before a hire can be made. Once Harbaugh is officially in place, he will also have to make a decision on the fate of interim head coach Mike Kafka, who served as the Giants’ offensive coordinator prior to Brian Daboll‘s firing. Brining in Monken would presumably lead Kafka elsewhere as the coaching landscape takes shape.
According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Monken – who is still under contract with the Ravens for now – “expects” to be offered the OC gig in New York. Notably, Stroud adds that Harbaugh and Monken have not spoken with each other since news of the pending Giants deal broke in Harbaugh’s case. Discussions between the two should be expected shortly. Of course, other options have been explored by Monken aside from the strong possibility of following Harbaugh to his next destination.
The Browns conducted an interview with Monken last week for their head coaching vacancy. A reunion with the Buccaneers as their offensive coordinator has also been floated, with an interview being arranged recently. Between the Harbaugh news and today’s updates, however, it would come as a surprise if Monken did not find himself guiding the Giants’ offense in 2026.
A young core led by quarterback Jaxson Dart appealed to Harbaugh and played a role in the mutual interest which was seen between team and coach leading up to their agreement. Provided he takes on OC duties, Monken will be tasked with overseeing Dart’s second year and his development alongside the likes of wideout Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo. An agreement on that front would leave one of the most experienced coordinator candidates off the market for other suitors.
Latest On John Harbaugh: Giants, Contract, Manning, Staff, Titans, Falcons
John Harbaugh‘s impending deal with the Giants will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. According to Jordan Schultz, the contract is expected to be worth nearly $100MM over five years.
[RELATED: John Harbaugh Expected To Become Giants’ Next HC, Pending Finalized Agreement]
It’s not a surprise that Harbaugh will earn such a lucrative payday; there were rumblings that the Giants were basically willing to pay him whatever he wanted. The nearly $20MM average annual salary would top the rumored $17MM annual salary he was earning in Baltimore, and it would rival the lucrative contracts signed by Andy Reid ($20MM/year) and Sean Payton ($18MM/year).
Of course, money wasn’t the only reason that Harbaugh committed to the Giants, as it sounds like other suitors were willing to open the check books for the former Super Bowl-winning coach. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Titans had an offer ready for Harbaugh and were willing to do whatever it took to get him in Tennessee. Harbaugh had a meeting scheduled with the Titans for this morning, and Rapoport notes that Titans leadership was indeed planning to fly to the coach’s Maryland home today. However, the organization was informed last night that Harbaugh was finalizing his deal with the Giants.
Harbaugh did his research prior to his handshake deal with the Giants, reaching out to coaches, executives, and even former players. According to Russini, Harbaugh talked with Giants GM Joe Schoen everyday after he was let go by the Ravens. The coach also reached out to a number of the positional coaches from Brian Daboll’s staff to “pick their brains on the state of the roster,” per Connor Hughes of SNYtv. To top it all off, Harbaugh even spoke with Eli Manning about the opportunity, according to veteran reporter Gary Myers.
Now, Harbaugh will be tasked with turning around a franchise that’s only made two postseason appearances since their Super Bowl XLVI victory. Some pundits initially wondered if Harbaugh may avoid a relatively tough NFC East. However, Ian O’Connor of The Athletic notes that when he pointed out that the Falcons and the NFC South would represent the easiest playoff path for the coach, Harbaugh’s camp indicated that he wasn’t afraid of the NFC East competition.
To help him top the division and return to relevance, Harbaugh will have to fill out his coaching staff. We heard earlier today that Ravens OC Todd Monken was likely to join his former boss in the same role in New York, and a number of other coaches are expected to follow. According to Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, Harbaugh will likely “bring a lot of his Ravens staff” to New York, and the new head coach isn’t anticipating resistance from the Ravens. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic echoes that sentiment, although the reporter warns that the Ravens may try to retain a handful of their preferred coaches.
Harbaugh may also be recruiting some members of previous staffs to New York. According to Hughes, Anthony Weaver is among the Giants targets for defensive coordinator. Weaver spent three years on Harbaugh’s staff in Baltimore, serving as the team’s defensive line coach. He was a candidate to replace Mike Macdonald as the Ravens defensive coordinator in 2022, but Harbaugh ended up opting for Zach Orr, opening the door for Weaver to leave for the DC role in Miami. Now, Harbaugh has a chance to reunite with the coach in his next stop.
Coaching Rumors: Ravens, Eagles, Weis, Witten, Seahawks, Chiefs
The Steve Bisciotti era in Baltimore has included two first-time HCs — Brian Billick, John Harbaugh — but the owner is not against a retread. Bisciotti specified there will not necessarily be a success baseline from that retread’s first coaching run in order for him to land the job as Harbaugh’s successor.
“The one thing that I know that I will probably take it on the chin is if our final candidate is an ex-coach who has a losing record,” Bisciotti said, via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley, “and you all are going to have to understand that we are going to be able to judge that failure with his circumstances and marry that up and not disqualify them.
“It’d be very easy for me to try and avoid those ex-head coaches because they have losing records, but I’m telling you, we are keen to their circumstances, and we won’t let their first shot at a job influence us negatively for this one.”
Bisciotti also pointed to the next Baltimore HC receiving plenty of time in the role, pointing to at least “five or six” years. Though, that will largely depend on the Ravens’ performance as Lamar Jackson‘s prime goes on. The Ravens’ search includes eight second-chance HC options thus far. Bisciotti will have input, but he specified (via Ravens.com’s Ryan Mink) Eric DeCosta, EVP Ozzie Newsome and president Sashi Brown are running the search.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:
- The Eagles have been connected to big names for their OC post, being tied to Kliff Kingsbury, Kevin Stefanski, Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll early in the process. A college option has also emerged on Philly’s radar. The Eagles have “poked around” on LSU OC Charlie Weis Jr., per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard. Weis, who is following Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss, coached Jaxson Dart at with the Rebels and played a central role in an 11-1 season, overseeing Division II transfer Trinidad Chambliss. Just 32, the second-generation college coach has been a college OC since he was 25. Weis served as Florida Atlantic’s OC beginning in 2018 before moving to South Florida and then Ole Miss. Unlike Kiffin, Weis stayed on during the Rebels’ run to the CFP semifinals. The Eagles are planning to give their next OC full autonomy of the offense, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson, with Nick Sirianni long being a CEO HC.
- Staying on the college level, Oklahoma announced Thursday that Jason Witten is joining its staff as tight ends coach. Witten, 43, had been the coach at Liberty Christian High School in Texas but was on the Cowboys’ radar for a job last year. Witten came up as a dark-horse HC candidate in Dallas last year but later said he did not discuss that role. Though, this Oklahoma gig — Witten’s first at the college level — could be a springboard to a future NFL position.
- Seahawks running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu took a leave of absence recently and will not return to the team. Polamalu is now off the Seattle staff ahead of the team’s divisional-round game, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Polamalu took the leave in mid-December. Assistant offensive line coach Justin Outten and offensive assistant Michael Byrne have held Polamalu’s duties since the staffer’s exit. Polamalu, 63, has been with the Seahawks for two seasons. He has been in coaching since 1992, first arriving in the NFL in 2004.
- After Andy Reid‘s worst season since his 2012 Eagles finale, the Chiefs are tinkering with their staff. They are moving on from wide receivers coach Connor Embree, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes. Embree climbed from the quality control level to wideouts coach in 2023. Even as the Chiefs claimed a second straight Super Bowl title that season, the year began a downturn for Kansas City receivers. Experiments with Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore failed before another uneven passing season in 2024 commenced. After a 6-11 2025 slate, the Chiefs will look for another wideouts instructor.
Ravens Want To Finalize Lamar Jackson Extension Before Free Agency
The Ravens are interviewing head coaching candidates to replace John Harbaugh, but they also have their eyes on the second-biggest part of their offseason: negotiating another extension with Lamar Jackson.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said on Tuesday that he wanted to hammer out another deal with his star quarterback before the start of free agency.
“The urgency of that matters to me because we’ve got free agents and I don’t want to go into free agency with that hanging over our head,” Bisciotti said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). “It’s very hard for [general manager Eric DeCosta] to build a roster when that thing is not settled.” DeCosta concurred, saying that an extension would allow the Ravens to re-sign more of their pending free agents and “potentially go after a couple of big-ticket items.”
Agreeing to a new contract with Jackson would reduce his $72.5MM cap hits in 2026 and 2027, giving the Ravens more money with which they can retool their roster and gear up for another playoff run. The Ravens are willing to restructure Jackson’s contract and add void years to spread his cap hit into the future if the two sides could not strike a deal. Notably, Bisciotti, not DeCosta, laid that option on the table.
The longtime owner also indicated that he hopes for smoother negotiations relative to Jackson’s 2023 talks and even proposed a similar structure with a higher value. In 2023, it took until the week of the draft – long after the window to secure top free agents had closed – to get Jackson to sign at the dotted line. That year, he occupied about $32MM in cap space with his franchise tag, but his 2026 cap hit would be much more restrictive to the team’s other moves. An extension could clear up as much as $40MM, but those savings will be far less useful if the players worth signing have already found new teams.
During the same press conference, Bisciotti revealed (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) that some college coaches have reached out to the Ravens regarding their job openings, though the team has not scheduled interviews with any. He indicated that he would be open to interviewing one, but ultimately left that decision up to DeCosta.
Todd Monken To Interview For Buccaneers’ OC Position
The Buccaneers made a number of staffing changes shortly after their season ended. That included the expected dismissal of offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard. 
In the aftermath of Grizzard’s firing, a shortlist of replacement candidates emerged. Todd Monken is among the staffers who have been linked to Tampa Bay. That comes as no surprise since he spent three years (2016-18) as the Bucs’ offensive coordinator.
The sides will meet this week about a potential reunion. Monken will conduct an in-person interview for Tampa’s OC vacancy, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports. The summit will take place tomorrow, he adds. Monken was named this past weekend as someone of interest to Tampa Bay, so it certainly makes sense an interview will take place. As things stand, Monken is under contract with the Ravens as their OC, but the firing of John Harbaugh came about after he refused to consider making an offensive coordinator change.
With that in mind, there is a widespread expectation Monken will not be retained by the Ravens once their new head coach is in place. Head coaching interest has also emerged in Monken’s case from the Browns. The 59-year-old could find himself on the HC radar of other teams shortly, but another offensive coordinator opportunity would come as no surprise. Of those, the one in Tampa Bay would be an attractive one given the success seen when the team is fully healthy on offense.
That was not the case often in 2025, but Baker Mayfield along with an intriguing skill-position group and an offensive line anchored by left tackle Tristan Wirfs represents a strong core to work with. Some holdovers from Monken’s Tampa stint – including wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin – are still with the team, although Evans is a pending free agent so a reunion in that case would not be assured.
Monken’s Bucs offenses finished mid-pack in scoring during each of his three seasons with the team. Tampa Bay ranked ninth in total offense in 2017, though, and followed that up with a third-place finish the following year. He would seek a repeat of that success in the event a return to the Buccaneers were to take place.